Minor Optimistic --but Realistic

July 29, 2004|By Alex Marvez Staff Writer

DAVIE — Travis Minor willingly admits the obvious.

"I know that I'm not Ricky Williams," Minor said Wednesday referring to the player he is replacing at tailback. "Nobody out there is Ricky Williams. That's not a goal for me, to go out there and do like he did."

The Dolphins also don't have unrealistic expectations that Minor will match the production of a player like Williams, who rushed for 3,225 yards on the highest carry total (775) in a two-season span in NFL history. But running backs coach Joel Collier said that doesn't necessarily mean the Dolphins can't field an effective rushing attack with Minor splitting snaps with such others as Sammy Morris, Rob Konrad or a tailback acquired via trade or free agency.

"It has its good and bad," Collier said about the tailback-by-committee approach the Dolphins are planning to take. "Where I've had the most success is to have one guy be the back who gets most of the carries. But if you handle it correctly and guys know their role, you have a chance to be successful."

Minor's role since being a 2001 third-round draft choice was as a backup behind Williams the past two seasons and Lamar Smith as a rookie. The 5-10, 205-pound Minor also has never logged more than 59 carries in a season.

Minor said he isn't worried about trying to approach the 400-carry mark as Williams did the past two seasons.

"I don't know what the role for me is going to be," Minor said. "I just know it's going to be more than what I've done in the past two years. I'm excited about that.

"Regardless of when it is, it's not important. I just know I have to step up just like a lot of other people on this team to fill a void that is huge."

Minor said Williams had told him Friday morning that he was retiring, but it was only after news of Williams' decision broke Sunday that Minor realized he wasn't kidding.

"I'm not going to say I didn't take him serious, but I thought it was just Ricky being Ricky," Minor said. "Then you see it across the [television] screen and you realize it was real."

Collier declined to share his opinions on the retirement but said the Dolphins had planned to give Minor more carries to help ease Williams' workload.

Minor's 4.5-yard average is indicative of the success he has enjoyed as a change-of-pace back whose strength is speed compared to Williams' power.

Collier also said Minor showed he could handle an expanded role during a 2001 victory over Atlanta in which he had nine carries for 33 yards and seven catches for 65 yards.

"For a little guy, Travis is probably a little more powerful than you would think," Konrad said. "I think he's probably a little quicker than Ricky. He has very good vision and maybe can make some cuts a bigger back can't make as far as cutting back in the open field and finding a lane.

"He's always been good one-on-one in the open field. Ricky would run over you or make a move. More times than not, he chose to run over you. Travis has the ability to make [a defender] miss."

But the big question when training camp opens Saturday is how much the Dolphins will miss Williams.

"Ricky was very important to this football team, and I don't know if anybody could even compare to that," Minor said.

"But at the same time, we know the reality of it is we're going to line up somewhere in the very near future and play football. So everyone has to look at themselves in the mirror wondering how they can contribute more to keep this thing going."

MINOR'S CAREER

A look at Travis Minor's statistics with the Dolphins:

YR G ATT YDS AVG TD

2001 16 59 281 4.8 2

2002 16 44 180 4.1 2

2003 16 41 193 4.7 1

Total 48 144 654 4.5 5

Note: In his three years, Minor also has 33 receptions for 276 yards and a touchdown.